


Mermaids are Real

by maemusicmelody



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Little Mermaid Fusion, Cute, F/F, Fluff, Just really really fluffy, Princess AU, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 01:53:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15109367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maemusicmelody/pseuds/maemusicmelody
Summary: Ruby is convinced she has seen a mermaid but no one will believe her. How will she react when she finally finds a real one?





	Mermaids are Real

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bxanie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bxanie/gifts).



> Inspired by the new mermaid aqours set but also some personal longing for the one I miss the most.

"You're seeing things, Ruby. Mermaids are just fairytales."

The small redhead sighed as she watched her older sister walk away without even listening to what else she had to say. There was a clear irritation in her voice, so Ruby didn't try to call out to her but instead she sighed to herself and mumbled underneath her breath. "I know I saw one... It had to be."

Honestly Ruby wasn't very fond of the water, not because she didn't find it pretty or because she didn't like the water itself, it was because she had never been the best swimmer and had nearly drowned as a child. It should have been a fond memory, Mari Ohara who was a princess in the neighboring kingdom and their childhood friend, her older sister, and herself had been messing around by the shore to collect sea shells and tell stories. Mari was always filled with them, Ruby's favorite being the one of the little mermaid that gave up her voice so she could have legs instead. It was one of those days that Mari had teased Ruby, saying she thought she saw something in the water and Ruby, being the small child she had been, reaching out only to get swept by a wave instead. Ever since, Dia had been rather bitter about mermaids and the three of them rarely went out to play near the water anymore.

It took some time for Ruby to get over her trauma, but over time she slowly started returning to the shallow banks to dip her feet in the cool water and collect those shiny seashells she loved so much. The clean smell of the water and the steady crashing of the waves were enough to ease her anixeties and enough of a reason for her to get over her fear of drowning.

Once the older Kurosawa princess was out of sight, Ruby went back into her room to change into a shorter sun dress, on that wouldn't get drenched by the waves as she walked.

"You going out again, zura?" Her maid and best friend stood at the doorway with newly folded clean sheets in her arms.

Ruby couldn't help but smile with a determined look in her eyes. "I'll show them, Maru-chan! I'm not crazy. I really saw one!"

"I don't doubt you, zura..." The tone in Hanamaru's voice said otherwise however, causing Ruby to pout.

"Mouuu... You totally do." Ruby tackled her into a hug and gave a squeeze. "You should come with me today. Then you'll see I'm right!"

"Ehe. You know I can't do that. I have way too much to do today." She chuckled, reaching out to try and hug Ruby back despite the laundry in her arms. "Just stay safe zura."

"Alright I will." She gave her bestie one more squeeze before taking off out the door.

The beach was just outside the castle grounds, only a short five minute walk after exiting the back gate. In no time, Ruby found her toes digging into the smooth sand and the ocean kissing her skin as if saying good morning. Usually Ruby would have a bag with her to carry around seashells, but today she didn't bother to bring one. She had a mission today and one she intended to stick to.

Hours seemed to pass by so quickly as Ruby searched high and low, entering any small caves she should find or wandering close to the reefs. At this point she wanted to screem, which she did, very high pitched and irritated.

"WOULD YOU COME OUT ALREADY MERMAID?"

She squealed, almost wanting to cry. Her bottom found itself flopping into the sand as she looked down at the floor.

"I'm not crazy... I saw you, mermaid. I've seen you many times."

The image in her mind was so clear even though they were only mear glimpses of the illusive water creature. She had never seen her face completely, but Ruby didn't need to see it to know she was beautiful. She remembered her hair was long and dark, almost like the blue of the deepest parts of the sea. It was definitely hair, even though her sister tried to convince her it was just some long seaweed drifting in the water. It was just too silky in her memory and definitely not the color of any seaweed she has seen. She has also caught glimpses of her tail which only caught her eye when it sparkled in the sunlight as the mermaid dove back down to hide from her. It was amathyst in color, especially at the base of the tail where the color was most prominent, but the fins at the end were thinner, almost see through, which probably was what made it easier to catch the sunlight. There was no way that tail belonged to some random fish im the ocean.

To top it all off, the mermaid had left her a little gift once. "A secret admirer" Mari had teased Ruby when she showed her and Dia the necklace, but Ruby insisted it was the mermaid. She had found it on top of the reef caught between some rocks so it wouldn't get pulled away from the waves. After she picked it up, she heard giggling, a sweet giggle that almost sounded like it was singing. She had tired to look for the voice, thinking maybe someone was nearby and accidently lost the necklace, to no luck. The stone was something she had never seen before as it changed colors depending on the lighting. It had to have come from the very depts of the sea, untouched by humans... So who else could have gotten it and made a necklace like this?

Ruby sighed and held the necklace between her hands, staring at the now bluish purple hues. "Come out mermaid. I just wanna talk to you."

Then she heard a giggle.

It made her look up with a startled look, but nothing was there. Quick on her feet, Ruby got up and tried to walk in the direction she hward it come from. "Stop messing around! Because of you everyone thinks I'm crazy!"

"Maybe you are."

"Pigggiii!" She jumped at hearing the voice talk back to her, covering her face as if to hide. Then she realized this might be her chance to see the mermaid finally!

She looked up yet again to see nothing there but there was another giggle. "You're so cute, Princess. You always have been."

"W-what? What are you talking about?" She blinked in surprise. Her feet were moving on their own by now to follow the voice.

"Just as I said. You're very cute, Ruby-chan." The voice hummed happily as if amused with this little banter of theirs.

"How do y-you know my name?" She asked a bit surprised at this even if she was the princess of the surrounding kingdom. She didn't think merfolk were interested much in humans.

"Well you told me, silly. When you were very little. You and your sister and friend used to come here a lot." The voice explained calmly as if the fact were obvious.

"Mou... That's not fair. You know my name but I don't know yours." Ruby pouted, crossing her arms over her chest as if she were actually annoyed. "I can't just keep calling you Mermaid, can I?"

"I mean, you could." Another chuckle and a splash in the water. Ruby thought she would see her when she turned, but still no luck. "My name is Kanan. I'm the princess of the sea."

"Kanan... That's a pretty name."

The mermaid seemed to be delighted by Ruby, squealing a bit when Ruby said her name. "Thank you~ ehe. Say my name again!"

Ruby furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Kanan?"

"It just sounds so sweet when you say my name~" She sang happily and Ruby could swear she could see her smile.

"That sounds really gay..."

"But I am." The matter a fact tone in her voice.

That was enough to make Ruby blush as red as her hair which made the mermaid giggle again. "And so are you, obviously. Always searching for me~ how romantic."

"W-w-what are you talking about?! I'm just trying to p-prove that you're real..." She stammered nervously at the assumption.

"Or you are just gay for me too."

Ruby gulped. "Too?" Did that mean the mermaid was gay for her? What did this adventure even turn out to be?

The voice didn't reply to her this time but instead continued that cute giggling sound. Ruby wondered if she was even really giggling or if this was just some noise thay mermaids normally made.

"Can you come out please? I want to see you..." Ruby mumbled again with a bit of whine. She had been waiting for this for so long and now that she could actually hear a voice, she wanted to make sure no one was just playing tricks on her.

"Patience, sweetheart. We're almost there."

"Almost where...?" She kept moving forward anyway despite the back of her mind warning her to be careful. What if whoever this was actually was just trying to hurt her. At this point, she didn't recognize her surroundings very well and honestly it could be some sort of trap.

"Trust me. It will be worth it."

So she continued to follow the path until the sand slowly began to disappear and she found herself instead at the foot of some mysterious cavern. She hadn't seen this cave before even though it didn't seem to be too far from where she would normally wander off to. It was dark which almost made her want to turn back, but the voice coaxed her to continue. "It's okay. I'm here with you."

"This b-better not be a mean prank, Kanan-chan." She tried to joke around but the fear was obvious in her voice.

"It's not. I'd never do anything to hurt you, my princess."

'Your princess?' Ruby almost wanted to repeat but was instead left speachless at the sight that soon came into view. All around her, the cave walls seemed to sparkle in different colors. She wondered how could this be seeming as there was no way for light to get in. It seemd as though the gems in the walls were glowing on their own accord. The light then bounced off into the water, making everything sparkle, as if something out of a movie. Maybe this really was a prank and they were using some pretty high end movie effects to make this happen.

"Amazing isn't it? This is where I got the gem for the necklace I made you." Kanan explained, her voice sounding satisfied about the fact. "A pretty gem for a pretty girl."

"I... I don't understand." Ruby almost frowned, confused as to why this was happening. Why was this mermaid so interested in her like this?

"It's simple really. I like you, but I'm a mermaid. So what hope do I have for being with you?"

Ruby turned around when she heard the water sloosh behind her only to see the most beautiful being she's ever encountered. The mermaid had the dark blue locks like she remembered and her amathyst tail, sticking out of the water the way it was sparkled along with the gems. Kanan's eyes were the most brillian shade of amathyst she had ever seen and she swore she could stare into them with her own emerald eyes forever.

"Wow..." Was all that Ruby could manage to mutter. Her body felt so warm and it probably showed in her cheeks.

"Ehe. Glad to know you are gay for me too." Kanan gave her a wink and that was enough to snap Ruby out of her gaze.

"P-p-piggiiii!" She squeaked and and tried to cover her face, only causing Kanan to laugh.

"I can't believe... You're real..." Ruby continued to stammer but once that fact sank in, her nervousness was replaced with a sudden excitement. "Oh my lord you are real?! Mermaids are real! Mermaids are real!"

Kanan laughed some more as she watched the young princess jumping up and down as if she were a todler that was given some candy. "Cute."

"I gotta tell Oneechan! And Mari and Maru! You have to meet then Kanan-chan." She pleaded. "Then they will see your real."

Kanan frowned a bit at that but then shook it off and offered Ruby a concerned smile. "Ruby. I wish that could be, but I'm afraid this will have to remain our little secret..."

"Secret? Why a secret?" The disappointment was ringing in her voice loud and clear.

"To put it simply, if knowledge of this cave and myself were known... Well. Who knows what kind of bad people would come after us."

Ruby thought about it for a second, listening to what Kanan had to say before nodding her head. "I guess you're right..." She mumbled then leaned down closer to the water. "I wouldn't want anyone to hurt you."

"Thank you for understanding." Kanan's smile was the sweetest thing Ruby had ever seen.

"Just one thing. If you had to remain a secret, why did you show yourself to me? Aren't you putting yourself in danger?"

"It was a risk I was willing to take." Kanan reached up to touch Ruby's hand and have Ruby cup her cheek. It surprised Ruby how warm Kanan was even though she had been in the cold water this whole time. "I wanted you to see me, though it was kinda fun watching you search for me all these years."

"I see." Ruby gently rubbed her thumb against Kanan's cheek and smiled. "I'm glad. I feel really special now."

"You are." Kanan nuzzled into her hand happily before pulling away from her. "I'm sorry Ruby, but it's time to go."

"Time to go? B-but. I just got here... Will I ever see you again?" Ruby didn't want to leave! Her time with Kanan felt way too short... She wanted more time."

For now. But your necklace. You can talk to me through it. Its made of magic stones." It was hard to explain but that was as simple as Kanan could put it for now. "We'll meet again someday, just patient."

Kanan waved to Ruby, and figuring out what she wanted, Ruby leaned down. However, she didn't expect Kanan to press her lips against her cheek the way she did. Before Ruby had a chance to say anything about it, Kanan's form had disappeared into the water.

Ruby walked out the cave, a slight pain in her heart which made her want to cry. Why did it have to be so short? After all these years of searching, it felt like she only had mere minutes to speak with Kanan.

As if feeling the same, her necklace began to glow a bit under the moonlight and a gentle yet longing voice spoke to her.

"Til next time, sweetheart. I'll see you again soon."

**Author's Note:**

> i might make a part 2


End file.
